Yemen authorities arrest 30 Al Qaeda suspects

Sanaa (Yemen), Aug 28 (DPA) Yemeni authorities have arrested 30 suspected members of the Al Qaeda terrorist network believed to have been plotting attacks in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, official sources said Thursday.The 30 men, all Yemenis, were captured in the south-eastern province of Hadhramout, where police forces dismantled an Al Qaeda cell on Aug 12, a police officer was quoted as saying by the weekly newspaper 26 September.

“They were planning to join Al Qaeda members in Saudi Arabia to carry out joint attacks,” the unnamed source told the paper.

The arrests were made after police got information about the suspects from documents and a computer found in the Al Qaeda house raided by police in Tarim town in Hadhramout on Aug 12.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has said police discovered plots by Al Qaeda to strike targets inside the country and in Saudi Arabia.

He said documents and blueprints for the plans were found after police forces raided the Tarim hideout. Police killed five suspected members in the raid.

Last week, Yemen extradited to Saudi Arabia eight Saudis wanted by security authorities in that country.